This invention relates to an ammunition cartridge having an electrothermal ignition device for its propellant.
In ammunition cartridges of the above type the ignition of the propellant is effected by arc discharges inside the propellant powder. For this purpose, at least one wire conductor is provided within the propellant powder. For igniting the propellant powder, an electric current of such a high intensity is passed through the wire that the latter explosively vaporizes, and the electric arc thus produced ignites the surrounding propellant powder. The propellant powder is conventionally accommodated in an inert, electrically insulating plastic case.
It is a disadvantage of the above-outlined ammunition cartridges that in addition to the case bottom, the propellant case itself has to be completely removed every time a shot is fired. Further, the manufacture of such ammunition cartridges is relatively complex and expensive. Further, because of the relatively large proportion of the inert material, a substantial combustion volume is lost in the weapon chamber.